During the process of manufacturing semiconductor wafers, a semiconductor wafer lot is heated in a semiconductor wafer furnace for a predetermined period of time. It is critical that a semiconductor wafer furnace not be left open to the atmosphere for an extended period of time between furnace tasks. This is because the furnace will absorb too much moisture from the atmosphere to operate properly.
Any furnace that is left open to the atmosphere too long must undergo a furnace cycle purge process to remove the absorbed atmospheric moisture before that furnace may again be used to heat semiconductor wafer lots. If a furnace is not left open too long, the furnace may be used again without having to undergo a furnace cycle purge process.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a system and method that is capable of efficiently determining how long a semiconductor wafer fabrication furnace has been idle. A need also exists in the art for a system and method that is capable of efficiently monitoring a plurality of semiconductor wafer furnaces during a semiconductor wafer fabrication process that allocates a plurality of furnaces to a plurality of furnace tasks.